Anti-sway linkage for container engaging means



G. P. HURST March 22, 1966 ANTI-SWAY LINKAGE FOR CONTAINER ENGAGINGMEANS Filed June 26, 1963 '7 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. GEO/Q65 P HUQST AT TO/PNE s G. P. HURST March 22, 1966 ANTI-SWAY LINKAGE FOR CONTAINERENGAGING MEANS '7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 26, 1963 INVENTOR.

GEORGE P HUPST A 7'TO/P/VEVS March 22, 1966 G. P. HURST 3,241,686

ANTI-SWAY LINKAGE FOR CONTAINER ENGAGING MEANS Filed June 26, 1963 '7Sheets-Sheet 4 r 1 INVENTOR.

GEORGE P HUP T F I L BY LF----- 1J (MAM Il v f A T TOPNEVS G- P. HURSTMarch 22, 1966 ANTI-SWAY LINKAGE FOR CONTAINER ENGAGING MEANS Filed June26, 1963 '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

A T TORNEVS March 22, 1966 G. P. HugsT 3,241,686

ANTI-SWAY LINKAGE FOR CONTAINER ENGAGING MEANS IN VEN TOR.

P HUQST BY 57 4 1, 777%: fad/ t.

A 7' TO/PNEVS G. P. HURST March 22, 1966 ANTI-SWAY LINKAGE FOR CONTAINERENGAGING MEANS Filed June 26, 1965 7 Sheets-Sheet '7 INVENTOR. GEORGEHUQST A T TO/P/VEYS United States Patent 3,241,686 ANTI-SWAY LINKAGE FORCONTAINER ENGAGING MEANS George P. Hurst, 719 Northampton Ave., PaloAlto, Caiif. Filed June 26, 1963, Ser. No. 290,811 4 Claims. ((11.212129) This invention relates to apparatus for lifting and fortransferring containers from land or water vehicles to another point andfor accurately depositing such containers at such point in apredetermined position at an angle to the position of the containerswhen lifted.

In the freight transporting business, whether by land or water, everyeffort has been made in recent years to handle the freight or cargo moreefliciently. These efforts have resulted in the shipping of freight andcargo in large containers that have reached substantially the size ofthe box or body portion of standard oblong freight cars that areapproximately forty feet in length, horizontally, approximately eightfeet in Width and between thirteen and fourteen feet in height. Theircapacity may be as high as forty tons.

In marine shipping similar containers may be employed, although usuallythey are smaller, and their capacity may be approximately twenty tons.

In a freight distributing center at a railway terminal there are usuallya plurality of pairs of parallel tracks in side by side relationalongside or parallel with, or between, loading platforms. One of thedifliculties in unloading containers from and loading them on such carsby overhead portable cranes or hoists is that of supporting the hoist orcrane in a position to selectively remove containers from any of therows of railway cars that may be on said tracks, or to load any of suchcars.

Another appreciable difficulty heretofore encountered is an eflicientand economical structure that will enable lifting the containers andcarrying them free from objectionable swinging of said containers underthe influence of inertia or the wind.

A still further difficulty is presented in efficiently and quicklypositioning the containers. In freight yards the land trailers intendedto receive the containers from the cars have heretofore been positionedat an angle of approximately ten to twenty degrees relative to therailway tracks in order to position as many trailers as possible alongthe tracks, although many more trailers could be positioned along thetracks if the longitudinal axes of the trailers could be at right anglesto the length of the track.

With the present invention containers may be quickly and selectivelyloaded and unloaded from cars in any of the adjacent parallel tracksalongside a loading or unloading area or platform, and also thecontainers will each automatically swing to a position substantially ata right angle to the tracks during transfer from the cars to theloadingor unloading area, and furthermore the containers will beelevated by cable hoists but held against objectionable swinging duringtransit.

It is one of the objects of the invention to provide apparatus that willaccomplish any of said above results or all of them.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a container hoistthat is adapted to transfer containers from the freight cars to anunloading area, and vice versa, in which the containers may be swung toposition either end in one of two opposite directions when loaded ontothe car or when unloaded and deposited at the loading area or viceversa.

It may be pointed out that at the present time special cargo ships havebeen designed to receive the large, horizontally elongated containerswith overhead cranes 3,241,686 Patented Mar. 22, 1966 mounted on trackson the weather deck extending along the gunwales to move longitudinallyof the ship for carrying containers to and from the different holds.Trailers alongside the ship and on the dock are in positions similar totrailers alongside a railway station to receive the containers, or fromwhich the containers are removed for loading onto the ships. The presentinvention is applicable to this arrangement.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the description anddrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a railway distributing point at anunloading area showing the present invention in semidiagrammatic form atsuch point.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the arrangement shown in FIG. 1 asseen from line 22 of FIG. 1 in which the unloading device is indicatedat the right hand side in full line in elevated position with aconventional railway car container carried thereby and in dot-dash linesat the left side of the view that container and hoisting means are shownin a position for lowering the container onto a road vehicle orplatform.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged part elevational, part sectional view of thehoisting apparatus, taken generally along line 33 of FIG. 1. Thehoisting means is in lowered position.

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view of the hoisting apparatus as seen fromline 44 of FIG. 3 except that the supporting trolley wheels are omitted.

FIG. 5 is an end elevational view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 4, butin a collapsed position.

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 3showing the means for actuating the load engaging elements.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged elevational view of the trolley portion supportingthe carriage, including one of the driving means, the carriage being inthe dotted line position at the left end of FIG. 1, which carriage isshown in full line in the right hand portion of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view taken at a right angle to the view ofFIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a reduced size, simplified top plan view similar to FIG. 1,but which arrangement enables loading and unloading at either of twoopposite sides of a track or set of tracks.

FIG. 10 is a reduced size top plan view similar to FIG. 9 which isadapted to operate in substantially the same manner as the arrangementsshown in FIG. 9 except that the containers lifted off the cars willalways be turned the same way over each of the loading and unloadingplatforms.

FIG. 11 is a simplified side elevational view showing a structure inwhich part of that shown in FIGS. 5, 10 may be eliminated where thecontainers are lifted only a relatively short distance.

In its broadest aspect, the present invention may be said to be a gantrytype travelling crane incorporating a cantilever feature in that itcomprises overhead tracks supporting a carriage for movementhorizontally from positions between a pair of opposed wheel mountedsupports that support the tracks in elevated position, and the latterproject past one of the said supports so the carriage may move past thepair of supporting frames to at least one side thereof.

FIG. 1 which is a top plan view shows a pair of horizontally extendingoverhead tracks 1, 2 that are supported in elevated position by anysuitable frame 3. Such frame includes vertically disposed legs orsupports 4, each of which may be mounted on wheels 5 that, in turn, rollon parallel, horizontally extending rails 6 for movement of the frame 3and the tracks 1, 2 longitudinally of the rails and transversely of thetracks 1, 2.

Said tracks 1, 2 are carried below horizontal cross frame members 7that, in turn, may be connected by upper side frame members 8. Thespacing between the legs at the side of crane frame from which thetracks 1, 2 project must be sufficient to enable the container to passtherebetween, as will later appear.

The spacing between the opposed supports between which tracks 1, 2extend may vary according to the number of sets of railway rails 9 to bespanned. In FIG. 2 there are three sets of rails 9, which is merelyillustrative,

since there may be more or less.

In the event an elevated loading and unloading platform 10 is along oneof the sides of the sets of said rails 9, as seen in FIG. 2, one of therails may be supported in a groove or recess 11 in the platform so thatthe upper surface of the rail 6 is substantially flush with the uppersurface of the platform, and such a recess is preferable in any event sothat the rail 6 will not be an obstacle to the passage of vehicle wheelsthereover.

Motor powered wheels supporting gantry cranes are old, and in thepresent instance one of the wheels 5 at each side of the crane may beconnected by any suitable power driven means generally designated 15(FIG. 2) with a source of power for moving the crane in one direction orthe other on rails 9.

Tracks 1, 2 are spaced apart a substantial distance and are parallelwhere they extend over the rails 9, and then they curve toward eachother to form an intermediate section 16 in continuation of one of theends of the rail crossing portions where they pass under the cross framemember 7, after which they again extend parallel and close together toform an outwardly projecting end portion generally designated 17.

This arrangement of tracks 1, 2 is generally the same as shown in US.Letters Patent No. 3,047,159 that issued July 31, 1962 to myself andMowatt M. Hurst, except in that instance the tracks were relativelyshort at their widely spaced end portions, whereas in the presentinstance, the widely spaced end portions are relatively long.

Suspended from track 1 is a horizontally elongated beam 18 (FIGS. 4, 5,7) and two pairs of trolley wheels 19 at each of the opposite endsthereof support said beam from track 1, said wheels rolling on theopposedly outwardly projecting lower flanges 21 of track 1, the latterbeing an I-beam in cross sectional contour. FIGS. 7, 8 show each set offour wheels arranged in two opposed pairs rotatably supported on theends of the arms of a pair of inverted yokes generally designated 25. Ahead 26 secured between yokes connects the lower ends of the yokes, andeach head is swivelly connected with one of the ends of beam 18 so thatthe ends of said beam are swivelly suspended from said heads.

A vertical shaft or pivot 28 intermediate the ends of beam 18 swivellyconnects the beam 18 with one end of a horizontally disposed carriage 29(FIG. 7).

The opposite end of said carriage is swivelly suspended below track 2and from said track 2 by wheels 30, beam '31, yokes 32, and heads 34that correspond to wheels 19, beam 18, yokes 25 and heads 26. The pivot28 from which the one end of carriage 29 is suspended from track 1 isbelow track 1 when the sides of the lateral carriage are parallel withthe tracks of portion 17 and at that time the pivot 33 from which theopposite end of the carriage is suspended is below track 2. The purposeof this, as will later appear, is to insure the carriage 29 being at aright angle to the rails 9 when the carriage is suspended from tracklengths 17.

The tracks 1, 2, as seen in FIG. 1, provide What may be generally calleda Y pattern, having a leg portion 17 and two arms extending generallydivergently from the leg, except when their outer end portions areparallel. Carriage 29 when in a position suspended below the leg portionhas its longitudinal axis parallel with said leg, and said carriage issuspended at one end from track 1 and at the other end from track 2.

Upon moving the carriage 29 from the leg of the Y onto the arms of thetracks 1, 2 the carriage will automatically swing to a position at aright angle to the leg 17. The reverse will automatically occur inmoving the carriage from the arms onto the Y.

Various means may be employed for moving the carriage, one of which isdescribed in the patent already mentioned, and which would be suitablewhere the same end of the carriage will always lead the other in movingfrom the arms of the Y onto the leg portion. The means for connectingthe carriage to the container to be lifted will be explained more indetail later on, but at this point, it is sufiicient to know that thecontainers usually are long and each is suspended from the carriage withthe longitudinal axis parallel with the axis of the carriage, and itwill swing as a unit with the carriage.

In FIG. 1 a plurality of containers or trailers 35 are indicated onrails that are alongside and parallel with the loading and unloadingplatform. The arms of the overhead Y tracks extend over the containers35 at right angles to the longitudinal axes of said containers. The leg17 of the Y extends over the loading platform on which may be thetrailers onto which the containers are to be loaded, or the containersmay be on the platform or on trailers that are on the latter, and thefreight cars will be on the rails 9. However, assuming the firstsituation with the containers on the freight cars, the carriage 29 willbe moved to a position over the container to be unloaded, as indicatedin FIG. 1.

In the present invention I provide means for moving opposite ends of thecarriage 29 at the same rate of speed when the carriage is on the armsof the overhead Y support and at a right angle to the latter, and partof the same means is adapted to positively drive one end or the other,as desired, along the curved portions of tracks 1, 2 and along the legof the Y.

One means for moving the carriage is illustrated in FIGS. 7, 8 in whicha rack 40 (FIG. 7) is secured to the track 1 at the side of the Web 41of said track that faces outwardly relative to track 2. This rack ispositioned in a laterally opening channel, the upper side of which isthe upper flange 42 (FIG. 8) and a horizontally disposed strip 43 spacedbelow and parallel with said flange. Said rack extends longitudinally ofthe track 1.

Supported by a bracket 44 on the head 26 on the yokes 25 at one of thesets of wheels 19 is an electric motor 45 that is operatively connectedwith a gear 46 through any suitable gear box. Gear 46, in turn, has itsteeth in mesh with the teeth of rack 40. The motor 45 is reversible todrive the end of the carriage connected with beam 18 in one direction orthe other.

Identically the same driving means is carried by one of the heads onyokes 32 that carries beam 31. The track 2 carries a rack on its sidethat faces away from track 1, which rack is identical with rack 40.

In FIG. 1 the driving mechanism above described on beam 18 is generallydesignated 50 while the driving mechanism that is associated with beam31 is generally designated 51.

It should also be noted that each of the yokes 25, 32 carries a roller52 positioned below each of the tracks 1, 2 (FIG. 7) adapted to engagethe tracks, should there be any upward movement of the yokes, and alsoeach beam rotatably supports rollers 53 that are adapted to engage ahorizontal top plate 54 on each end of the carriage 29 to stabilize thecarriage during and after swivelling movement of the carriage (FIG. 8).

The motors controlling the movement of .the gantry crane as a unit andfor controlling each of the motors 45 may be operated from a singlecontrol unit positioned within the operators cage 54 (FIG. 2) that is onthe crane and above the tracks from which point all loading andunloading operations may be observed, or at any other desired point, andthe conventional safety limit switches may be positioned along thetracks to prevent accidental operation of the motors 45, such as causingthe carriage to move beyond its maximum safety limits on the tracks, andto prevent simultaneous movement of the motors during the swivelling ofthe carriage when the latter is suspended from the intermediate portions16 of the tracks.

One of the main features of the present invention is the provision ofreliable, simple, and economically made means for stabilizing thecontainers during lifting and lowering thereof, and during swivelling atportions 16 of the tracks 1, 2 and also during movement of thecontainers and during stopping thereof.

Supported at one end of the carriage for rotation about a common axisare winding drums 55 (FIG. 1) driven in one direction or the other by areversible electric motor 56 (FIG. 3) that is carried by said carriage.Two cables 57 extend downwardly from said drums adjacent to the cornersof the carriage at one end thereof, while two other cables 58 extendfrom drums 55 horizontally to the opposite end of the carriage wherethey extend over sheaves 59 adjacent to the corners of the carriage atsaid opposite end, and downwardly.

One of the cables 57, 58 at one side of the carriage connect at theirlower ends with opposite ends of a container engaging lifting bar 63while the cables 57, 53 at the other side of the carriage connect attheir lower ends with the opposite ends of a second lifting bar 65} thatis identical to the first. The pair of bars 6t, have flanges 61 thatextend toward each other to engage below each container 35, eachcontainer having an elevated ledge along its lower side for engagementby such bars, this feature in itself being conventional.

Bars 66 are parallel and at the same level, hence upon actuation of themotor 56 to rotate drums 55 in one direction the bars will besimultaneously elevated at the same rate of speed, and upon rotation ofthe drums 55 in an opposite direction, the bars will be lowered at thesame rate of speed.

Two pairs of links 63, 64- (FIG. 3) of the same length are pivotallyconnected at one of their ends with the opposite ends of each liftingbar 66 for swinging of said links vertically in substantially the sameplane and which is substantially the plane in which each lifting bar isdisposed. The pairs of links 63, 64 on each bar 66 extend upwardly andtoward each other from the ends thereof that are pivotally connected toeach bar, and the upper ends of said pairs of links are pivotallyconnected by pivots 65 with the lower ends of a pair of links 66, 67.The links 66, 67 of each pair are the same, and the lower ends of links66, 67 are between the upper ends of each pair 63, 64 (FIGS. 5, 6) whilethe vertical flange 68 of each lifting bar 60 is between each pair oflinks 63, 64. The upper ends of links 66, 67 are pivotally connected bypivots 69 with the lower ends of vertically extending bars 70. Said bars70 are split at their lower ends for a substantial distance to form aclevis 71 into which the fiatsided upper ends of links 66 arepositioned. The axes of pivots connecting the lower ends of the links 64with flange 68 of the lifting bars and the axes of pivots 65, 69 areparallel and at right angles to the length of carriage 29, hence theyare adapted to swing in a plane that is parallel with each side of thecarriage from a position in which the links 63-67 are extended to anextended position in which the lifting bars 60 are adapted to engagebelow a container 35 to a collapsed position in which the links 63-67are horizontally extending and almost parallel to each other.

The bars '70 with which the upper ends of links 66 are pivoted, extendvertically upwardly and are, in turn, pivotally connected by pivots 74(FIG. 6) with projections 75 that project oppositely outwardly of theside frame members of a rectangular, horizontally disposed framegenerally designated 76, and which side frame merm bers are indicated at77. The said projections 75 may be extensions of cross frame members 76that are adjacent to each end of frame 76, while the end frame members79 of frame 76 (FIG. 5), are adjacent said cross frame members.

Bars 70 at the ends of frame 76 project upwardly and the upper ends ofthe pair of bars 70 at each end of the frame are pivotally connected toone of the ends of a pair of rods 80 that extend toward each other fromthe upper ends of said bars. The inner adjacent ends of the pair of rods80 that are adjacent each end of frame 76 are pivotally connected at $3,84 (FIG. 6) to the ends of a link 85 that is centrally secured on ahorizontal shaft 86 rotatably carried on cross frame members 78. Thelink 85 functions as a crank in that rotation of the shaft 56 in onedirection will cause the upper ends of bars 70 to swing toward eachother so that the lifting bars 6%) will be swung outwardly away fromeach other to dot-dash positions 67 (FIG. 6) while rotation of saidshaft in an opposite direction will cause the lifting bars 66 to swingtoward each other to engage under a load.

The rotation of said shaft 86 may be effected through a crank arm 88that is connected at one end thereof with said shaft at a point adjacentto one of the cross frame members 78, while the other end of the crankis pivotally connected with the outer end of a hydraulically actuatedpiston rod 89 extending from a conventional hydraulic cylinder or gearmotor 99 that, in turn, is carried on said cross frame member 78 and iscontrolled by extensions between it and the operators cage.

The cables 57 at one end of the carriage and cables 58 at the oppositeend extend through relatively large vertically opening eyes 93 on frame76 to the ends of the lifting bars 66 and, as best seen in FIG. 5, .thepair of cables at each end of the frame extend slightly convergently inan upward direction from the lifting bars so that the lifting bars wouldnormally tend to swing toward each other and against the sides of acontainer, by gravity, when not positively swung apart.

The ends of the carriage 29 have depending vertically disposed endplates 94, while the end frame members 79 of frame '76 carry end plates95. End plates 95 may be offset slightly toward each other relative tothe end plates 94 on the carriage 29, but the end plates are in parallelplanes.

A pair of arms 96 are pivoted at 97 adjacent one of their ends to eachof the end plates 95 on frame '76, while a similar pair of arms 98 arepivoted at 99 to the end of each of the end plates 94. The outer ends ofsaid arms are pivotally connected by pivots 160.

Toothed segments 101 are respectively rigid with one of the adjacentends of arms 96, and toothed segments 162 are rigid with the adjacentends of each pair of arms 98. The arcuate row of teeth on each pair ofsegments 1M, and the arcuate row of teeth on each pair of segments 162.are in mesh with each other and each row is concentric with the pivot 97or 99, thus upon the frame 76 being lowered or elevated the arms 96, 98will move from horizontally extending collapsed position (FIG. 5) toextended generally vertically extending position (FIG. 4) and at alltimes these pairs of arms will hold the frame '76 and a container onlifting bars 60 against both side sway and end sway.

It should be noted at this point that the end tendency to swaying of thecontainers is not normally as pronounced as the side swaying due to thefact that the pairs of cables 57, 58 are spaced apart a substantiallygreater distance than the distance between the cables of each pair, andalso the container carried below the frame 76 on lifting bars 60presents a broadside to the wind, and acts like a sail to cause swingingunless prevented. Furthermore, the inertia of the containers upon beingturned about a vertical axis in changing their position from over therailway cars to over the loading area and vice versa, would causeswinging. Obviously arms similar to arms 96, 93 may be positioned at oneor both opposite sides of the structure, if desired.

in operation, assuming the carriage 29 is suspended from the leg of theoverhead Y tracks over the loading platform and the lifting bars andframe 76 are at their lowermost positions, which would be approximatelytheir positions after unloading a container, and the next container tobe removed from a railway car is the farthest removed from the loadingplatform, the motor 56 will first be actuated to elevate the liftingbars 60 and to collapse the arms 63, 64, 66, 67 sutficiently to enablethe lifting bars 60 to clear the tops of cars on the rails closest tothe loading platform. It may be necessary in some instances to partiallycollapse arms 96, 98 to do this, but the operator can readily see whenthe required elevation is reached. In any event stops 72 rigid on bars96 (FIG. will limit the collapse of arms 96, 98. Inasmuch as any savingof time and power is a saving of money in the operation, it is apparentthat the direct vertical movement of the lifting bars 69 to the desireddegree, and no more, will result in a saving.

The operator will then move the gantry crane until the arms of theoverhead Y track extend transversely across the container, and the motor45 on the beam 18 or 31, whichever is farthest from the rails 9, willthen be actuated to move the carriage and the lifting bars 60 and frame76 onto the arms of the overhead Y track, which will occur automaticallysince the leading beam will move onto the arm that is opposite to theone that is being driven by the motor 45, and as soon as the beams 18,31 are parallel with each other on the arms of the overhead Y tracks,both motors 45 will drive the carriage to its position over thecontainer that is to be removed.

From the above it is obvious that the relative position between thebeams and the carriage determines when the motors 45 will operatesimultaneously and when only one will operate and yieldable switchelements respectively on the brackets 44 and on the beams may controlsuch operation. This may be diagrammatically indicated in FIG. 8, inwhich electrical switch elements 105 on beam 31 and bracket 44 are inengagement, but upon beam 31 swinging toward a position in which it isparallel with the track from which it is supported, the connection isbroken and the motor must be independently operated from the controlcage. Obviously the operation of the motors may be entirely controlledfrom the control cage.

The bars 60 are always swung apart when out of engagement with a load,and as soon as the carriage 29 is over the desired container motor 56 isactuated to lower the lifting bars 60 to the point where they willengage below opposite lower corners of the container when the cylinder90 is actuated to move said bars toward each other. Frame 76 will reston the container, when the bars are in a position for engaging a load,and the arms 96, 98 will be extended (FIG. 4). The motor 56 will then beactuated to lift the container 35 and it will be lifted to the pointwhere it will clear the tops of the containers 35 intervening betweenthe farthest removed set of rails 9 and the platform 10 upon movement ofthe carriage 29 toward the leg 17 of the overhead tracks.

Once the container 35 is elevated the desired degree the container willautomatically swing to a position substantially at a right angle to therails 9 and to tracks 1, 2 according to which of the motors 45 isdeactivated when the trolley wheels reach the point where theintermediate portions 16 commence, whichever one continues to be engaged will become the leading one, and it will pull the carriage ontothe leg portions of the overhead Y and the container will then beparallel with said leg portion where it can be lowered onto the desiredtrailer or onto the platform. Obviously the gantry crane can be moved ifnecessary.

By the above arrangement a turntable and its expensive complications iseliminated and the container is stabilized against swinging, and thecontainers are automatically swivelled so that either end may be turnedto the proper position on the trailer or platform.

The reverse of the above operation is readily performed and is obvious,except the end that is nearest to rails 9 will follow whichever tracksupports it. However, by running the carriage out onto the legs of the Ythe end to end reversal of the carriage can be quickly effected.

The employment of the cables in direct lifting relation to thecontainers and yet the elimination of the swinging of the containersenables the elimination of the heavy and expensive hydraulicallyactuated arms that have heretofore been employed.

FIG. 9 is a greatly reduced and simplified top plan view similar toFIG. 1. In FIG. 9 the frame 3, which may be the same as in the precedingviews, carries tracks 111, 112 that are the same as tracks 1, 2, exceptthat the projecting portion 17 of FIG. 1 extends to opposite sides ofthe frame 3, as indicated at 113. By this structure, loading andunloading of containers or trucks or trailers can be effected atopposite sides of the frame.

The carriage 114 in FIG. 9 is the same as carriage 29 in FIG. 1 and byactuating motors 50, 51 in unison when the carriage is suspended fromthe widely spaced portions of the tracks that are within the confines ofthe frame, the carriage will move longitudinally of said tracks, but bycutting out one motor or the other by suitable switches at the ends ofsaid widely spaced portions of the tracks, the end that continues to bemotorized will lead the outer end onto the end portions of the track, ashas been described relative to FIG. 1.

In FIG. 10 one track 115 of a pair thereof carried by a frame 116, andwhich frame is the same as frame 3, is straight from end to end whilethe other is curved intermediate its end portions as at 117 to space thecentral portion 118 from track 115 the same distance as the intermediateportions of tracks 1, 2 are spaced apart.

By this arrangement the motors 129, 121 on the carriage 122 willfunction simultaneously to move the carriage along the widely spacedintermediate portion of the tracks, but in motor 120, which is the oneat the end of the carriage that is suspended from straight track 115, isthe only one that is actuated to move the carriage onto one end portionof the tracks or the other, and motor 121 is the only one that will movethe carriage from the end portions of the tracks to the central portion.Thus the carriage in this form of the invention will always have thesame leading end in moving to and from the end portions of the tracks.

The motor controls may be of any suitable kind, and may be actuated byan operator and automatically by conventional limit switches, exceptthat in FIG. 9, for example, the operator controls whichever one of themotors on the carriage is to be actuated upon movement of the carriagefrom the central or intermediate portions of the tracks onto theprojecting end portions.

FIG. 11 is similar to FIG. 5 except that the links 96, 98 have beenomitted, as Well as their segment connected ends. This arrangement issuitable for lifting loads off trucks, trailers or elsewhere, andstabilizing them against swinging, but in situations where the loadsneed not be lifted to the same height as in FIG. 2.

In all forms of the invention, it should be noted that the multitudinousnumber of cables heretofore employed, where attempts have been made toextend the cables to the load engaging means, are eliminated. Also thecostly and complex turntable structures have been eliminated and theloads that are carried are stable and at the loading and unloadingstations at one side of the frame the loads will be automaticallypositioned in the desired and uniformly correct positions.

Where the word container is used, it is applicable to a trailer orvehicle that has the containers as a part thereof or separate therefrom.

With respect to FIG. 1, it should be noted that the dotdash lineposition of the container in which it is intermediate the full lineposition, and the dot-dash line position below the portions 17 of theoverhead tracks may be an unloading and loading position where it isdesirable 9 that the container be at angular positions of, say,approximately 45 relative to the full line position, or at any angleless than 90 relative to said full line position when deposited on aloading platform orwhen lifted therefrom. It would merely be necessaryto widen the loading platform to come below the load, or to extend theintermediate portions 16 of the tracks to extend to a greater degreeover the loading platform. This is obvious and in some instances may bedesirable, since the carriage suspended from the tracks is quite stablein said position.

It is apparent that different embodiments of this invention may be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and therefore, itis not intended to be limited except as indicated in the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. In a freight container handling apparatus that includes overhead,horizontally extending tracks on a wheel mounted frame and a carriagesuspended from said tracks for horizontal movement thereon, theimprovement that comprises:

(a) cable hoisting means on said carriage including a plurality ofcables extending downwardly therefrom providing two horizontally spacedpairs thereof and means for winding and unwinding said pairs to raiseand lower them, said pairs of cables being adapted to extend downwardlyacross two opposite sides of a freight container to be lifted uponwinding thereof;

(b) a pair of horizontally extending parallel spaced container engagingmembers respectively connected with the lower ends of said pairs ofcables adapted to engage below said container along said two oppositesides;

(c) separate relatively rigid vertically extensible and collapsiblemeans carried by said carriage and extending downwardly therefrom andrespectively disposed in vertical pairs of planes at right angles toeach other in which one plane is at a right angle to said members forholding said members against swinging laterally in directions at a rightangle to said members upon actuating said cable hoisting means toelevate said members when the latter are in container engaging relation;

(d) a horizontally disposed, intermediate frame positioned between saidcarriage and said members;

(e) one of said vertically extensible means connecting said intermediateframe with said members; and

(f) the other of said vertically extensible means connecting saidintermediate frame with said carriage.

2. In a freight container handling apparatus that includes overhead,horizontally extending tracks on a wheel mounted frame and a carriagecarried by said tracks for horizontal movement thereon, the improvementthat comprises:

(a) cable hoisting means on said carriage including a plurality ofcables extending downwardly therefrom providing two horizontally spacedpairs of horizontally space-d cables, and means for winding andunwinding said pairs to raise and lower them, said pairs of cables beingadapted to extend downwardly across two opposite sides of a freightcontainer to be lifted upon winding thereof and with the cables of eachpair thereof in spaced relation at each of such sides;

(b) container engaging means respectively connected with the lower endsof said pairs of cables for releasably engaging said freight containersubstantially at its lowermost portion along said opposite sides,whereby upon actuation of said cable hoisting means to elevate saidcontainer engaging means when the latter are in engagement withsubstantially said lowermost portion, the weight of said container andthe contents thereof will be transmitted directly to said cables at saidcontainer engaging means and it) at points at substantially thelowermost portion of said container;

(0) separate relatively rigid anti-sway means disposed between andrespectively operatively connected with said carriage and with saidcontainer engaging means including relatively rigid verticallyextensible and collapsible means disposed in different vertical planesat a right angle to each other for holding said container engagingmeans, and consequently a container in engagement therewith againstswinging laterally upon actuating said cable hoisting means to elevatesaid container engaging means when the latter are in container engagingposition at said points.

3. In a freight container handling apparatus that includes overhead,horizontally extending tracks on a wheel mounted frame and a carriagesuspended from said tracks for movement thereon, the improvement thatcomprises:

(a) cable hoisting "means on said carriage including a plurality ofcables extending downwardly therefrom providing two horizontally spacedpairs thereof and means for winding and unwinding said pairs to raiseand lower them, and pairs of cables being adapted to extend downwardlyacross two opposite sides of a freight container to be lifted uponwinding thereof;

(b) a pair of horizontally extending parallel, horizontally spacedcontainer engaging members respectively connected with the lower ends ofsaid pairs of cables adapted to engage below said container along saidtwo opposite sides, said cables being connected with said members atpoints relatively close to the points of engagement between said membersand said container;

(c) a pair of horizontally spaced, opposed, vertically extensible andcollapsible anti-sway means, relatively rigid against side sway, carriedby said carriage extending downwardly therefrom toward said containerengaging members, and separate means respectively connecting each ofsaid anti-sway means of said pair at the upper end thereof with saidcarriage, and connecting the lower end thereof with said containerengaging means;

(d) said anti-sway means each including a pair of upper gear segmentsrotatably supported on said carriage with their teeth in mesh forrotation of said segments together in opposite directions about parallelaxes, and a pair of lower gear segments having their teeth in mesh androtatably supported on the means connecting the lower end of theanti-sway segments with said container engaging means for simultaneousrotation of said lower segments in opposite directions about a parallelaxis, an upper pair of links respectively rigid at one of their endswith said upper segments and a lower pair of links respec tively rigidat one of their ends with said lower segments and said upper pair oflinks and said lower pair of links projecting toward each other fromsaid upper and lower pairs of segments and pivotally connected at theirouter ends remote from said segments for swinging said pairs of linksfrom generally vertically extending positions to generally horizontallyextending positions, and vice versa, upon winding and unwinding saidcable for raising and lowering said container engaging means.

4. In freight hoisting and handling apparatus that includes a framesupporting a horizontally disposed overhead carriage having two oppositeends for horizontal movement, and which carriage in turn carries powerdriven cable winding drums and hoisting cables respectively connectedwith said drums and depending from said carriage and connected at theirlower ends with container engaging means for engagement with a containerfor lifting such container upon actuation of said drums for winding saidcables thereon, the improvement comprising:

(a) stabilizing means disposed between said container engaging means andsaid carriage and connected with said carriage and said containerengaging means for holding said container engaging means and a containeradapted to be engaged thereby against lateral swinging thereof duringlifting of said container engaging means and such container by saidhoisting cables and during said horizontal movement of said carriagewhen such container is suspended therefrom, said stabilizing meansincluding:

of each of said two pairs against unequal movement relative to the otherarms of each of said two pairs during movement of said pairs of armsfrom said extended positions to said collapsed positions and vice versa;

(e) said last mentioned means comprising a pair of (h) two pairs ofspaced opposed arms at each of said pair being in intermeshing relation.

opposite ends of said carriage respectively disposed with one pair abovethe other thereby providing an upper pair of arms and a lower pair armsat each 15 of said two opposite ends;

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 689,372 12/1901Taylor 212-129 (c) separate pivot means pivotally connecting one of 1463090 7/1923 Nqfzi er 212 127 the ends of each upper pair of arms with oneof the 2017385 10/1935 g f 212 129 ends of each lower pair of arms, andpivotally con- 292O917 1/1960 Sheehan 294 81 necting each of the otherends of said upper pair of 20 2942736 6/1960 'fggg arms with one of theends of said carriage, and piv- 3027025 3/1962 Tanainoer 47 otallyconnecting the other ends of said lower pair 3047159 7/1962' Hurst D 6of arms with said container engaging means for 3051321 8/1962 g 212 ]4movement of said two pairs of arms at said opposite 306111O 10/1962 Montcine-r 212 14 ends of said carriage about parallel horizontal axes 253076'673 2/1963 Ka y 294 81 only from generally vertically extendingextended 31O4016 9/1963 129 positions of the pivotally connected upperand lower y arms to generally horizontally disposed positions FOREIGNPATENTS when said cables are actuated to hoist said container engagingmeans from a lowered position to an ele- 30 125,312 6/1949 Swedenvatedposition;

(d) means respectively connecting said other ends of each pair of upperarms and said other ends of each pair of lower arms for positivelyholding the arms SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner.

ANDRES H. NIELSEN, Examiner.

1. IN A FREIGHT CONTAINER HANDLING APPARATUS THAT INCLUDES OVERHEAD,HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING TRACKS ON WHEEL MOUNTED FRAME AND A CARRIAGESUSPENDED FROM SAID TRACKS FOR HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT THEREON, THEIMPROVEMENT THAT COMPRISES: (A) CABLE HOISTING MEANS ON SAID CARRIAGEINCLUDING A PLURALITY OF CABLES EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY THEREFROM PROVIDINGTWO HORIZONTALLY SPACED PAIRS THEREOF AND MEANS FOR WINDING ANDUNWINDING SAID PAIRS TO RAISE AND LOWER THEM, SAID PAIRS OF CABLES BEINGADAPTED TO EXTEND DOWNWARDLY ACROSS TWO OPPOSITE SIDES OF A FREIGHTCONTAINER TO BE LIFTED UPON WINDING THEREOF; (B) A PAIR OF HORIZONTALLYEXTENDING PARALLEL SPACED CONTAINER ENGAGING MEMBERS RESPECTIVELYCONNECTED WITH THE LOWER ENDS OF SAID PAIRS OF CABLES ADAPTED TO ENGAGEBELOW SAID CONTAINER ALONG SAID TWO OPPOSITE SIDES; (C) SEPARATERELATIVELY RIGID VERTICALLY EXTENSIBLE AND COLLAPSIBLE MENAS CARRIED BYSAID CARRIAGE AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY THEREFROM AND RESPECTIVELYDISPOSED IN VERTICAL PAIRS OF PLANES AT RIGHT ANGLES TO EACH OTHER INWHICH ONE PLANE IS AT A RIGHT ANGLE TO SAID MEMBERS FOR HOLDING SAIDMEMBERS AGAINST SWINGING LATERALLY IN DIRECTIONS AT A RIGHT ANGLE TOSAID MEMBERS UPON ACTUATING SAID CABLE HOISTING MEANS TO ELEVATE SAIDMEMBERS WHEN THE LATTER ARE IN CONTAINER ENGAGING RELATION; (D) AHORIZONTALLY DISPOSED, INTERMEDIATE FRAME POSITIONED BETWEEN SAIDCARRIAGE AND SAID MEMBERS; (E) ONE OF SAID VERTICALLY EXTENSIBLE MEANSCONNECTING SAID INTERMEDIATE FRAME WITH SAID MEMBERS; AND (F) THE OTHEROF SAID VERTICALLY EXTENSIBLE MEANS CONNECTING SAID INTERMEDIATE FRAMEWITH SAID CARRIAGE.